Paull Lepage is a good man and will be good for Maine.
Yup, I contributed before the primary. Voted for him. Will enthusiastically vote for him in November. Would contribute again, probably will. I think this is going to be a fairly big win for him. LePage has a lot of things going for him and not a lot against.
He was the tea party candidate, but there’s really nothing “extreme” about him. I picked him out of the 7 candidates as my favorite about 6 months before the primary, based not on a list of conservative positions, but on the simple idea that government does not create jobs. 7 Republican candidates and really, only Paul LePage took that position.
A simple, basic idea, not seen as extreme.
But in Maine, maybe elsewhere, there’s a tendency not to say “hey, were open for business, c’mon in” but an endless debate about what jobs Maine wants, and what government needs to do to get those jobs that we want. Lots of Government doing this, doing that, to get jobs or make jobs.
LePage understands that it’s not his job as Governor to pick out peoples jobs for them. Just make it easy for people who want to sell something to Mainers or make things in Maine to do that. The Maine Democrat way is to identify successful businesses and try to hurt them in some way. Too successful selling water? A new tax on bottling water. Thanks Poland Spring.
He has the type of resume that supports his general image as a competent guy who can fix the budgetary problems that we face and the economic problems caused by too much regulation. He’ll go in there, roll up his sleeves, find waste, or useless and or damaging programs, make cuts. Government employees might need to take pay cuts.
Nonideological for the most part. Unclear position on civil unions. Which is acceptable to the Conservatives and reassuring to others.
Is French Catholic. That’s a very good thing with certain demographics, especially in Lewiston / Auburn which is traditionally a Democrat area but is projected to go to LePage.
On the down side, he does have the tendency to occasionally put his foot in his mouth. But, I’m guessing that’s not going to matter. Some see that as part of his charm. Straight shooter.